Battle Hymn of the Republic

Set in a modern world, with a hidden layer to society- a Magical one. Myths, legends, and fantasy are all true, hidden under a veil of secrecy to keep the non-magical people ignorantly safe from it all.

**Primary Ability:** Elementalist
* Katerina is a master of the elements, Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Et Cetera. While she is not fully capable of controlling all elements, and her magical stamina is quite lacking, She does have the ability to use large amounts of mana very quickly to powerful magical effect.
**Secondary Ability:** Unknown

**History:** Katerina Michizaki is the daughter of a Japanese Businessman, and American Businesswoman. Although they have a good relationship, the family is very rarely together, as business takes Katerina's parents to different parts of the world. As such, she is well traveled, and fluent in several languages, though she lacks any true regional or cultural identity. Born in Osaka, Japan, she considers it her hometown, and tries to act as if she were truly Japanese, though it comes off a bit forced and formal. Katerina first discovered her powers (Much to the amazement of her non-magical parents) when she was about ten years old, as a response to a masked assailant attacking her mother while they were together abroad. In a burst of magical force, Katerina was able to summon a small wave of water gathered from the atmosphere which she used to knock down their assailant, knocking him unconscious and allowing the local authorities to arrest him. Soon afterward, a member of the Occultus Magica approached Katerina and her mother, offering to help them understand what had happened. After much correspondence, debate, and coordinating, it was decided that Katerina would return to Japan with her father and attend a magical school there which had recently opened, in order to teach her how to control her abilities.

**Appearance:** Katerina is slightly above average height for Japan at around 5'4", with most of her morphological features (Facial structure, eye shape) Being typical Japanese. She does, however, have Blonde hair and blue eyes. Kat's body is a little bit more developed than most Japanese girls her age, with wider hips and more womanly shape to it than many others, though she remains average in cup size, giving her an overall average build. \\
**Personality:** Katerina is very kind, and generally helpful. Being well-traveled, she is very accepting of cultural differences, however, she has a tendency to try and adopt the customs of the area she is located, which can come off as a bit forced, or overly formal. Once she is comfortable with her surroundings, however, Katerina can be a bit feisty and somewhat competitive, with conflicting desires to succeed at all costs and help those around her as much as possible. \\
**Magical Item:** Katerina carries a basic Cell phone charm that strengthens her magical defenses, as well as allows her to charge her phone via her mana (given to her by a guild member) \\
**Magical Outfit:** While she lacks a magical outfit per se, all of her clothes have been enchanted with basic protective and durability spells. She also has a sketchbook full of ideas but none have yet to come to fruition \\

^ **Caller of Gods** |
| //Percival possesses the ability to summon gods into the corporeal world. All that is required is a proper focus, the staff 'Unity', and the summoning phrase. The deities come forth as miniature versions of their true form, and use Percy's mana to fuel their attacks and strength.// |

* **Grand Slam** - //When Aurus is on the field, Percy has the ability to golf and bat his miniature form across long distances. The potency of the force that sends Aurus flying depends on the intensity of the user's emotions.//
* **The Dragon God** - //With Aurus present and the flames of [[nc:character:ruarc_flynn|Ruarc's]] Fire Storm fueling him, the miniature Aurus becomes mini no more.//

* **The Paladin's Forest** //With the chivalrous power of [[nc:character:jonathan_miller|Miller's]] healing touch, Modeka can achieve her full form and bring forth the Paladin's Forest. These trees, which remain long after their use is expended, shed Spirit Leaves, which rejuvenate and recharge all mages within their healing reach.//

^ **The Font's Curse** |
| //Percival possesses no mana to call his own, and thus cannot learn any other form of magic. Even so, he is connected to massive seas of mana that constantly course through him and to his charge, Unity. When the flow of mana is pushed too hard, beyond his ability to process, Percival will experience the detrimental effects of internal mana exposure, ravaging him physically. Further, Percy's body is not entirely his own while paired with the Elementalia Magicus, the gods can use Percy's own body to will their magic onto the field albeit at Percival's expense. Percival can call upon these powers willingly, but the Gods must be willing to give it.// |

* **Slagbreath** - Bestowed by Aurus, Percival releases a gout of fire and molten metal from his mouth.

**Primary Ability:** Spell Casting \\
* Willow is fairly new to the world of magic so she is still learning the ropes. As a Druid in training her primary medium is casting spells, but she is inexperienced and only knows a select few spells. \\
**Secondary Ability:** Runecrafting \\
* The crafting and use of rune is a useful way of learning to control the flow of magic, as such Willow's instructor has her rutinely practicing with them. \\

**History:** Willow was born and raised in a moderately sized town on the British coast. Growing up she was a very adventurous kid that was always rushing around trying to find something to mess with. Eventually she built up a bit of a reputation for having a good gut feeling for finding just where the best trouble to get into was. \\
Once she was fourteen, Willow noticed that what she had considered to be just a gut feeling was something more. It was nothing ground breaking like breathing fire or altering space, rather she felt as though she connected to the world around; what she would describe as "feeling like the world was breathing and that breath flowed through her. Well not long after this new feeling began, Willow was approached by a charming, bubbly type woman named Mealla. This woman sat down with her and casually began to ask questions relating to Willow's feelings. Dancing around the matter at first and then narrowing in, before simply asking about the young girl's thoughts on magic. \\
Willow and Mealla talked for a short while over some tea, but before too long Mealla got up to go. Before leaving she sat a small, flat stone in front of Willow, saying, "If you can make this glow before a week goes by, we will talk again." As Willow was inspecting the stone, Mealla disappeared before anymore questions could be asked. \\
Over the next week Willow tried everything she could think of to try and make the rather inoccuous stone glow, but was at a loss. With just a day or so before the week time limit was up she was nearing her wit's end. She eventually ended up falling asleep against a rather comfortable tree under a warming Sun Much to her surprise when she woke up Mealla was sitting just to the side against the same tree. \\
"Congrats, kid, you passed the test," Mealla told her. This confused the young girl and looked down at the stone in her hand. It didn't look didfferent to her, and it certainly wasn't glowing. When she asked about it, she was told that it had started glowing while she was asleep, explaining it as something about being better connected to nature. From there, Mealla began giving Willow a cliff note version of Druid history and how she thought Willow had the potential to be a new addition to the order. When asked on what she thought of the prospect, Willow was unsure. Assured that it was perfectly understandable, Mealla told her to sleep on it and that she would return again in a couple of weeks. \\
Sure enough, two weeks passed and Mealla returned, but Willow was still feeling unsure. So Mealla, having a gift for knowing how to sway people, began going into a bit more depth about the state of the magical world, and that for someone as adventurous as Willow there was no greater adventure. She could travel, fight, and learn more than she ever could in her seaside town. \\
This seemed to convince Willow enough to start becoming excited by the idea, so she asked how she would go about learning about magic. To which Mealla told her about a great new academy that had opened in Japan with the help of a Druid acquaintance of hers, and there she could learn about becoming a Druid in an evolving magical climate. Trying to find a reason to not go, Willow asked how she would possibly convince her parents to let her go to a magic academy in Japan, to which Mealla already had an answer prepared. All Willow would have to do is say the word, and Mealla would handle convincing her parents.\\
Taking a few breaths to think, Willow's gut feeling, which was part of why she was now in this situation, was telling her to do it. Allowing herself another breath, she nodded in agreement to Mealla. She would do it, she would go to Japan and learn more; after all what the worst that could happen she thought, to which her logical side told her that a lot could.\\

**Appearance:** [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=pos ... 666|Willow]] stands at 5'4" with a slender physique, a minimal bust, slim waist, a thin waistline, and weighing in at 98lbs. She has honey blonde hair that extends down to the middle of her back, and bangs which she keeps brushed to the side. Her face is angular with fair skin, a petite nose, fine amber eyes, and her chin ends at a soft point. \\
**Personality:** Willow is very energetic and she is always looking for the next adventure. \\
**Magical Item:** As a part of her training, Willow keeps a selection of rune stones on her to work on magical control. Due to inexperience her carved runes are fairly rudamentary with basic elements. \\
**Magical Outfit:** Upon arriving at the academy, Willow recieved a standard cloak that is given to druid initiates, which is a drab brown. She wears this over top of her school uniform which consists of standard female sailor uniform which she adorns with cherry red ascot. \\
**Familiar:** As a fledgling druid-in-training who was discovered rather than born in, Willow has not yet proven herself ready for a druid familiar despite being old enough. In time, she will eventually earn one. \\

**Primary Ability:** Shadow Weaving \\
* Caoranach, like many minor deities, was born with a unique set of abilities to help them fill a specific role within the grand tapestry of the world. In the aftermath of her confrontation with a certain group of mages, many of her more awe-inspiring abilities have been sealed away. Now most of her abilities lie in her ability to spin illusions and minor manifestations from the shadows around her. \\
**Secondary Ability:** Dreamstep \\
* As a Celtic deity, Caoranach has retained most of her ability to travel through the dreams of sleeping mortals. This can be used for a variety of uses, but she has only ever used it as a way of sharing experiences. \\

**History:** Caoranach was born as the youngest daughter of the Faerie Queen Titania and King Oberon, in the time when life on the Emerald Isle was still young. As one of only a handful of true Fae, born from the union of the King and Queen, her mother told her that she would be destined for great things in the blossoming world. While her siblings went off to realize their own roles, she lingered around, and observed Titania at work. With a gentle and skilled touch, the Queen of Faeries worked day and night as she created the Lesser Fae from Nature's Bounty that Oberon had made. She saw elves born from leaves and saplings, giants born from stone, dragons born from fire, sylphs from the wind, and vast leviathans from the sea. They were all beautiful and majestic, and Titania seemed to enjoy having her daughter show an interest in her work.

Caoranach herself had been born to become the Maiden of Darkness, but Titania had an idea. "My sweet daughter, how would you like to help me with my work?" the Queen asked. The young Fae still had not found her form, as she had been unsure as to what form it was she had wanted to take. Some of her siblings chose to remain formless, while others had emulated the forms of their parents. "I shall create for you a body, a form I have been planning for some time, and with this form you shall be both of the Fae and of the material world. Walk among it and its denizens. Then, just I created the Fae, I shall give you the ability to create, use it to help me make this world full and bountiful."

Caoranac agreed wordlessly, and sat to wait as Titania went to work creating a form specially for her beloved daughter. With no sense of time, she watched formlessly as the Queen of Creation made a work of art just for her. The leaves and saplings that made the elves were the first to take form, creating he bones; then the soils and ores that created the giants worked they way into place, defining her form and creating her muscles; the waters of the levithans made her blood and fluids; flower petals born on the sylvan winds became her skin; dragon's fire formed her heart; and wisps Caoranach's own shadows were woven to make her midnight hair. Once Titania's masterpiece had been completed, the Queen placed Caoranach's ethereal being into the beautiful form; thus providing it with its soul. Born anew, Caoranach took her first breath of this familiar but fresh world.

"Now, my child, walk among this world," Titania said to her, her voice tired from the work. "You shall become the Mother of the next generation, the spirits. They shall become the mortar of this world, completing the gaps in my own work. I look forward to seeing what you can do." With that, her mother went to rest as Caoranach left to go experience this new world.

Caoranach roamed for many years as she tried to figure out exactly what it was her mother expected of her. Finally, the realization came to her as she walked the countryside. In recent years, a new creature and its flock had come to the shores of Erie; Humans. They were curiously short lived beings, and weren't born from the world the same way the Fae and Lesser Fae had been. They had crossed the ancient seas of the leviathans and bent the elements rather than conforming. She observed them from afar for a time, and at first she thought they were elementals, born in a manner similar to her, but lacking the being of a true Fae. After she finally worked up the courage to venture into the settlement she had been watching one night, it she could tell that they were simply unrelated. While disappointed, she watched them more closely and saw these early men to be skittish and defensive. She concealed herself from them, but it seemed they were still accutely aware of the presense of Fae. She thought she would like to help them, and that's when she had her idea for what to make. Rushing off to the forests, she found a cotton tree and harvested a bundle of the fluff. Forming it together, she called a slyph to give it a breath, and with a spark the bundle took its form. Overjoyed by her first creation, she was unsure what to name it, but eager for the spirit to begin its life, she named it Cottonfly.

Taking it down into the settlement the next night, the Cottonfly happily bounced from homestead to homestead, and the men of the village slept peacefully. In her joy, Caoranach made dozens more. Not just of cottonflies, but of new spirits; each one to help in some way. She made spirits that would help the crops the humans sowed, spirits to ward off the chill of the winters, spirits that would follow around the men and keep them company. She made spirits with such inspiration and eagerness, certain that each one of her children would go out and help those that called the world home, but in her haste she found that her creations had flaws unlike those made of her Mother's hand. Not all of the spirits she made were welcomed, and some even became a part of what mankind began to fear; but each one of them found their own place in the new world.

Some years later, Titania had awoken from her slumber and looked out on the world that had grown while she slept. King Oberon had done wonders with the world, and her children were managing the natural order as they were entrusted, but what caught her attention were all of the creatures that now roamed along side her old creations. One of the most prevelent were the creatures call Humans but interspersed throughtout their society and even among the Fae. Summoning her daughter to her husband's Royal Grove, her youngest daughter arrived rather sheepishly. When Titania made it clear that she wanted to discuss the spirits Caoranach had created, the young Fae was immediately apologetic.

"Peace, my sweet Caoranach," Titania said. "Why would I be angry at you for doing exactly as I entrusted you to do? Everything must be in balance in this world. For every elf that cultivates the forest, there is a dragon that shall start a blaze; and from the ash new life may grow. For every hill and mountain the giants make, the sylphs and leviathans wear them back down to the sea. That is the nature of this world. A spirit that causes unease when one travels in the wilds at night keeps the man on his toes and alert. And those adorable cotton ones that help give deep and restful sleep can leave them vulnerable and exposed. There must always be balance my dear, and know that I am so incredibly proud of your work."

With her Mother's words of wisdom fresh in her mind, Caoranach went back out into the world the continue her other duties as a Fae. Days turned to years, years into centuries, and centuries into millenia as Caoranach walked among the humans of the world, observing them as both they and her own children grew and became a part of the world. In time, she even began to walk among them, experiencing their cultures first hand. Over time, she noticed a subtle change in the humans, the ones who had been more aware of the Faeries and spirits had begun to develop the ability further. Before too long these men became the early form of mages.

These mages came in almost as many varietes as spirits did. The fascet that came to interest her the most were the group that invested their studies into the natural world and the spirits within it; the self-titled Druids. They were surprising indviduals, in that rather than trying to bend the world to their will as many humans sought to do, the Druids sought to work in harmony with the world; seemingly aware of their place in a much larger community. Ever the curious one, Caoranach, and even a couple of her siblings, eventually began to drop in from time to time, offering brief sparks of insight to these Druids.

Many more years later, Caoranach had begun to associate openly with the Druids, but eventually both her and the Order were betrayed by one that they had viewed as a friend and collegue. Caoranach was banished as a part of a larger conspiracy, and her fate created a ripple that was felt far and wide. Her family had become doleful and reclusive, shocked that the humans they had helped foster would lash out at their family. Closing themselves off from the humans, this time marked the end of the Old Era as Faeries no longer lived in harmony with the world of man. The Druids that had reached the height of their influence drew back into their keeps and libraries, as they were now viewed as sacreligious heathens. In the tulmult of the sudden transition, many documents were lost, and much was left to word of mouth. Over time, the Kingdom of Faeries fell into legend, and Caoranach, the Mother of Spirits, became remembered only for the troublesome spirits.

**Appearance:** Caoranach stands at 6'2", with an elegant and slender form. Fair in complexion, her skin is pale and smooth, contrasted by long locks of hair as black as a new moon night. Her face is delicate and well formed, with striking dark blue eyes, a small nose, and rosey lips. \\
**Personality:** When she was younger, Caoranach had been curious and bubbly, but after the betrayal at the hands of a friend, and almost two millenia of banishment, she has become jaded and has a penchant for teasing and toying with others; Druids in particular. \\
**Magical Outfit:** Caoranach wear clothing as elegant as she is, frequently appearing in fine silks and lavish designs. \\

**Primary Ability:** Shadow weave
* Sable is a master of shadows, and can create and control shadows at will. He can even create total darkness in a small area to disorient his foes. Mostly used for escape and evasion, it is also helpful for surprise attacks. Most importantly, however, he can use the shadows to create illusions, some of which can be corporeal if he supplies them with enough mana, although his solid shadow illusions tend to be on the smaller side.
**Secondary Ability:** Reinforcement
* Sable is capable of reinforcing his body, giving him great strength and sturdiness, despite the fact that he appears to be a featherweight. While this ability is mostly used unconsciously, he is capable of finite control of this ability in order to strengthen individual body parts, such as a fist for punching, or a forearm for blocking.
**Tertiary Ability:** Shapeshifting
* Sable is capable of changing forms, notably between that of a cat and a human. He tends to stay as a human at most times, though he will often revert to his native form, especially when spooked. All his other forms range between human and cat in size, and mostly include common animals native to the Portland area of Oregon.

**History:**
Sable is, in truth, a cat. A common household feline. Except, he is not as common as most others. Sure, all cats have a bit of magical power, but a very few are gifted with magical abilities on par with those of a human or one of the other sentient races. Sable, for his part, was born a singular kitten from a pair of rather magical, but not quite sentient cats. He was adopted by a magical family, being raised by a young witch as her prized pet. He grew up, very loved and doted upon, and, being recognized as highly magical, he was taught basic magic as a kitten so he could help as a familiar does. In time, his power grew, and it was found that he could draw upon a mana reserve equal to that of his owner's, and so he was taught how to control his magic to a greater extent, to the point where he even learned to shapeshift, though only to a limited number of forms, his favorite, of course, being that of a human's. He became, in essence, the young witchling's little brother, and learned to read, write, speak, and act as if he were a human.

After living life this way for nearly a decade (And having a much longer lifespan than a normal cat due to his magical power), Sable and his 'sister' had grown up, she, going off to college, leaving the talented sable at home with their parents, whom encouraged him to find his own way, as he seemed lost without the young witch. Unfortunately, Sable still has the mind of a cat at most times, and was somewhat distracted on his journies of tying to find himself, ending up ultimately in Japan, he found himself drawn to a strong magical presence in Osaka, and then finally enrolling at the Safeholme academy.

**Appearance:** Sable appears as a somewhat tall and thin teenage boy who has a toned body similar to that of a gymnast, giving a sense that he is very light and agile on his feet. He is roughly 5'5" tall and has short black hair that is extremely soft and often becomes messy despite his best efforts to keep it straight. He has golden, almond shaped eyes and a cat-like Iris.

In his natural form, he is a very well-proportioned, but somewhat large short-haired black cat, with bright golden eyes, and an oft curious expression. \\
**Personality:** Sable is a bit scatterbrained. He is fairly intelligent, and quick thinking, but awkward in social situations, and quite easily spooked. He has a tendency toward clumsiness due to getting tunnel vision when he focuses too much on a goal, that goal typically being whatever delicious food he might be smelling. He is extremely food-driven, and can be distracted with it quite easily whenever he is hungry. \\
**Magical Item:** None \\
**Magical Outfit:** Using his own Natural abilities, Sable is capable of creating a dark, shadowy cloak which he can use to hide his movements and actions, though it is often present, he normally has it appear to be a simple black hoodie with a large front pocket. \\
**Familiar:** Technically he himself is a familiar, though he has no master.\\

**Primary Abilitiy:**
* Mana Manipulation \\
While skilled with magic Lyra has almost no power and therefore cannot muster enough force to create normal spells. She instead brings unaltered mana directly into use. This technique has mostly defensive uses and creates a very durable caster. \\
Current Abilites: \\
Mana Bolts: Lyra can summon a ball of pure mana that can be shot at an enemy. These bolts form as small blue flames above the palm of her hand. When shot at or into a spell they leverage the inherently disruptive nature of her mana to deconstruct or prematurely detonate a spell. \\

Mana Reinforcing: Lyra can put a portion of her mana into an object strengthening it. This ability can be used on a non-magical weapon (her sword) to allow it to go head-to-head with a magical one. The mana can also be used to reinforce her own body, reducing the amount of damage it takes from blows. If a magical item is reinforced the item's properties and effects are stripped from the item and will only regain their strength over time in proportion to how long they were influenced by Lyra's mana. \\

Mana Edge: Lyra can run her fingers along the edge of her weapon and give the blade a cutting "edge" that can slash through spells.\\

Regeneration: Lyra can infuse an injured person with her mana and slowly heal their wounds. This process is lengthy and not viable for combat healing as serious injuries can take hours or even days to repair. It can be used to stabilize wounded on the battlefield until transportation or a more powerful healer arrives. \\
**Secondary Ability:**
* No current secondary.

**How powers were granted:**\\

“When she was born I would have killed her as the innocent newborn she was, but such an action would not be viewed as 'proper' for a gentleman of today. To this very moment I regret staying my hand, for that child is the single most vile thing that I have accepted into my life. She cares not a wit for her family and constantly is sticking her head into the muck with her perverted ideals of justice. Nonetheless, I have often – with great sacrifice and effort for my part – found use for her.”
- Alexis Valstadt, self-stylized Lord Magus and Lyra's Father, speaking of his daughter in private conference on her 8th birthday.

Lyra has been considered a constant disappointment to her family from the day she was born. Attempting to gain recognition in her Father's eyes Lyra has constantly struggled with her lack of magical power. Despite this, she has become quite proficient with both the sword and manipulating her mana. Lyra's mother has been notably absent from her life since some time around her second birthday and the general consensus is that, while her parents were betrothed, they never married.
It is not a subject her Father considers for conversation.

**Skill level:** 65 \\
**Power level:** 1 \\
**control:** 64 \\

===== Physical =====

**Appearance:** Lyra has always been tall for her age standing at a height of five-foot, seven-inches when she was 16. By 19 she had stopped growing at a height of 6' 4". Her hair is short, black, and lies flat against her head. Her eyes are a light grey. \\
**Magical Item:** None \\
**Non-Magical Item:** Longsword \\
**Magical Outfit:** None \\
**Familiar:** Lyra's mana is incapable of maintaining a familiar contract.\\

**Primary Ability:** Holy Light
* Holy Light is a heaven-granted ability to utilize a holy, purifying light as a means to an ends. It is very versatile, being able to be used as attack, defense, healing, as well as purification of evil. While extremely powerful, Ariel can only use Holy light for a short time, as her young body is not quite up to maintaining the power for very long.
**Secondary Ability:** Herald's Horn
* Ariel is capable of summoning a large, gilded horn made from an unknown creature. This horn, when blown has the ability to rally her allies and dismay her enemies. The rallying effect is more powerful the weaker-willed a person is, and the dismaying effect is more powerful the stronger-willed an enemy is. Ariel can only summon this horn three times a day, and may blow up to three blasts each time.

**History:**
Ariel is a Reincarnation of the Observer Archangel, Rahima. Unlike previous incarnations, Ariel is not meant simply to observe, but also to participate. She was born to a middle-class Israeli family, inbued with the full knowledge of her past lives, and who her true self was. Despite the conflict in the region, Ariel was able to grow up and live a very normal life, save for her secretly practicing the use of her abilities, in preparation for her later life, in which she is intended to be a major player in the goings on in the magical world, as Yahweh's Herald and Enforcer. When Ariel was 9, her family was involved in an act of terrorism, though thankfully they survived the attack, but at this point Ariel convinced her family to move as far away from Israel as they could, at least until the conflicts died down, saying that she wanted to see the world, starting with Japan. As such, her family was able to liquidate many of their assets, and move to the small Island country off the east coast of the Asian continent, settling in Osaka, for the time being.

**Appearance:** Ariel has very normal features for a ten year old Israeli girl. She has light brown skin, dark eyes, and short dark hair, except for her bangs, which are purposefully kept very long. Her hair is carefully and lovingly straightened, and always kept neat and tidy, regardless of what Ariel does. she currently stands about 4'8" tall, though she is still growing.\\
**Personality:** While Ariel typically tries to act like a normal little girl, when around those she knows or trusts she has a very confident air, though it is a bit playful. Not wanting to waste her youth, Ariel has been known to do a little bit of troublemaking, though she always seems to have a purpose behind it, and ultimately she ends up helping those around her, whether it be via some plot that reverses a norm, or just simply the youthful energy and xcitement that can help turn around a bad day. \\
**Magical Item:** The Herald's Horn. A Large, twisted, gilded horn of some unknown creature. It is gilded with an unknown material, that appears to shine and glisten in all colors and yet none, with many glittering gems that emit a faint light embedded in the material. Only Ariel is capable of producing any sound from it, it remains silent if anyone else tries to blow it. \\
**Magical Outfit:** When in Combat, Airel's outfit changes to a fairly simple outfit that appears to be a mix between a traditional arab robe and a traditional Japanese Kimono. This outfit has been infused with several wards and other protection spells to prevent damage to itself and its owner, though tough, it is not invincible. \\

====== Alexei – Druid: Caster/Rune crafter ======
|"There are things that can't be understand until you had stood on the brink of death"|

* **Name:** Alexei
* **Gender:** Male
* **Heritage:** German
* **Hometown:** Schweigen, Germany
* **Age:** 41 (estimated)
* **Birthday:** Exact date is unknown
* **Character Theme:** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p4LqeShIDY| Under the Sun]]
* **Main Battle Theme:** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-oImTYjCoM| Eternal Shadow Falls]]
* **Magic Type:** Inherited/Learned
* **Purity:** Impure
* **Active status:** Active
* **Affiliation:** Neutral
* **Ranking:** S+
===== Abilities =====
**Primary Ability:** **Casting** --- Alexei is a member of the [[NC:divisions:Druid Order]] and acts as the Keeper for the Northern Germany region, and as such also possesses an Ancestral Tome to which he has devoted himself to study. Alexei is widely respected for his unrivaled mastery of offensive elemental magic, and he is capable of doling them out in an unrelenting tempo.\\

**Secondary Ability:** **Runology** --- Alexei does not focus much of his attention on the use of runes, but even he cannot deny their usefulness. Through his studies Alexei, and his own invention, has acquired a terrifying library of runes that devastate whatever is unlucky enough to be their target.\\
**Common Runes (Various effects can be achieved based on the combination of runes used):**
* **Thermite** - Thermite is a fast burning rune that produces a lance of intense flames that can burn a hole through solid steel within moments.
* **Napalm** - Contrary to Thermite, Napalm is a slow burning rune that ejects a globule of burning gel that will cling to whatever it touches, it also does not get extinguished until its energy dissipates and is so persistent that it will continue to burn the victim even when submerged in water.
* **Acid** - Similar to Napalm, Acid ejects a caustic gel that will cling to its target and eat away at whatever surface is unlucky enough to act as its host.
* **Explosion** - Creates a sudden and violent explosion that completely shatters the rune in order to create shrapnel.
* **Fire** - Creates a jet of flame.
* **Razor Wind** - Creates a gust of strong wind that when focused can easily rend soft tissue that is in its path, and gouge a deep gash in hard surfaces.
* **Shock** - Creates an arc of powerful electricity.
* **Leech** - Forces a bond between Alexei and the target which drains the energy from their body. With more power focused into the rune Alexei can even steal life force, although use to this extent was prohibited by the Council.
* **Dispel** - Negates magic in the area the rune is activated.
* **Deny Magic** - Increases resistance to magical energies (most common on armors, robes, and clothing).
* **Deny Elements** - Increases resistance to natural energies and elements (most common on armors, robes, and clothing).\\

* **Known Limits:** Alexei has dedicated his life to being a Keeper. Every waking moment for him is filled with either studying the Tome, or putting his body through torturous training. The result is a man with a mind like tempered steel, and a scarred body that is as solid and unmoving as bedrock. Through a rigid life style and a tasteless, strict diet Alexei has a mana pool that is unmatched by anyone else in the Druid Order. Everything in the man's life has been designed to make him a man with no fear, no equal, and no weakness. Then with his hunter's instincts coupled with his Keeper's Eye, he ruthlessly tracks down his targets with deadly efficiency. One's best hope is to land a hit though the use of either good timing or attacks from multiple fronts.

* **How powers were granted:** Alexei, like all Keepers, inherited the position from his predecessor. The key difference with Alexei is that he is not descended from his predecessor. Alexei's mentor was a particularly harsh man who was with the Order who happened across Alexei when the boy was barely four years old and living at an orphanage. With no children of his own to carry on his station of Keeper, "Mentor" sensed Alexei's potential and took him on as his protégé, and for a few brief days Alexei thought he had found a home. Much to the boy's despair he had left behind an uncaring orphanage and ended up in a nightmare. From the moment Alexei was at Mentor's mercy he was forced into his training to harness his magic abilities through means that broke both the boy's mind and body. Then, from the shattered pieces Alexei was built into a terrifying force.\\
* Before Alexei was even ten he was practicing spells that could devastate an opponent, and was frequently abandoned in the middle of harsh wilderness with nothing but his hands and some rags for clothing. One such exercise dictated that Alexei be left in the middle of a vast Russian forest in the middle of winter, and he was to find his way to where Mentor had set up camp within four days; the one condition for his success was that he must bring have a fresh wolf pelt with him upon arrival. Alexei had succeeded in acquiring a wolf pelt through feigning weakness to make him a target, but he had arrived at the camp seven hours late. The punishment he received was not the first instance, but each punishment increased in severity and the details are too harsh to be put into words.\\
* Once Alexei was around the age of 14, Mentor put him to one last test. Alexei would fight Mentor, and in this instance the only condition for victory was to land a hit on Mentor that was enough to leave a lasting scar on the man's body. So Alexei fought ferociously like the savage animals he was forced to hunt along his journey, but Mentor was an eternity ahead of the boy. In the fight Alexei experienced more agony than he had from any of Mentor's punishments, and Alexei had no doubt in his mind that Mentor had every intention of killing Alexei if the boy did not win. There would be no second chances. The fight progressed without any surprise as Alexei was fighting just to stay alive the entire time, and after what seemed like an eternity of being plagued by sheer terror Alexei was on the brink of death. In the final, waning moments of his young and painful life Alexei learned the final lesson Mentor was teaching him. He had felt Death's embrace, he now knew the feeling of the cold fingers of fate, and now he no longer felt fear in any degree. In the final moments as Mentor cast the spell that would end Alexei's life, the young boy cast what magic he had left and landed a hit on Mentor's upper left thigh. The lance of magical fire gouged out a ravine in the older man's flesh, and ended the fight with Alexei the winner. Without pause or break, Mentor gave Alexei the last task he would have for the boy. Exhausted and broken from the fight, Alexei was to begin walking out into the wilderness, once more to track a wild animal. Upon inquiring about the type of animal, Mentor merely responded with, "You will know."\\
* So the battered Alexei began his slow limp out into the forests of Germany in the middle of winter, still bleeding and burnt from his fight, for the purpose of tracking a mysterious animal. Alexei had no magic left over to warm himself with, and he had lost a lot of blood during the fight with Mentor which allowed the bitter wind to freeze the boy to his core. He limped for hours as he made his way north through the forest. As he was on the verge of collapse out in the middle of nowhere, he heard a faint whisper in the back of his mind. //"Fight boy,"// the voice whispered in a harsh tone, //"The death of you means the death of me. Fight boy."//\\
* Alexei panned around for the source, but could not find the speaker. In fact, the only living thing aside from himself was a young raven perched upon a lofty branch on the other side of a snowy clearing. The raven had its eyes locked on him in a burning gaze. Alexei fought back the pain that racked his body and stood up straight and stretched out his arm in front of him. "You are the one I seek," Alexei declared to the raven. Then with a shrill cry in response the raven spread his wings and glided across the dead clearing to its new perch on the boy's arm.
* //"That I am, boy,"// the black bird said back, //"Our bond must be complete. What is your name, and what is mine?"//\\
* This gave the boy pause for the first time in his life. In the years he had been with Mentor he had always been "boy", and he had no recollection of his name from the orphanage. "I do not know your name, just as I have been given no name myself."\\
* //"Then I shall give you the name Alexei. The warrior. Bred to kill and someday be killed yourself,"// the raven said as it bestowed upon Alexei the first identity that was ever truly his own.\\
* "In that case I shall give you the name Hadyn," Alexei bestowed upon the raven in return.\\
* //"The heathen?"// Hadyn asked. //"A fitting name for a raven."//\\
* With the pair having given each other an identity, Alexei at once felt warmth return to his body as Hadyn shared his own energy with the freezing boy. Then without another word Alexei and Hadyn left the forest, and Alexei left as a full Druid; and Mentor's replacement as Keeper of Northern Germany.\\

* **Skill level:** 90
* **Power level:** 60
* **Control:** +30

===== Misc. =====

* **Appearance:** [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=pos ... 856|Alexei]] tops out at 6' even. His hair is a tangled mess of black that falls unevenly around his head and face. Set beneath a scarred brow are piercing eyes that feel like cold knives that can cut away any mental defense, and set up his right eye is the Keeper's Seal that gives him the ability to detect and read magical signatures. His face is tanned and wind-burnt from his constant exposure to harsh elements, his jaw is strong and wide, his nose looks to have been broken at some point in the past, and he has a vivid scar running vertically across his left cheek, marring his ceremonial Order mark.

* **Magical Item:** Alexei has spent years hunting and tracking down various magical artifacts to help himself grow even more powerful. Among these items numerous tomes, as well as a few magical gems.

* **Magical Outfit:** Alexei wears the same style of cloak as the rest of the Keepers do, only that his is a lot more tattered. He keeps the cloak fastened around his neck while the remained is pushed back across his shoulders.

**Primary Ability:** Raise Undead
* As a necromancer, Johann is still quite inexperienced. He has mastered the incantation and rituals to resurrect and preserve his puppy, Chuffy. Otherwise, he has mixed success in resurrecting other beings.
**Secondary Ability:** Siphon Life
* Thanks to his mild case of dyslexia, Johann's only significant success has been in a reverse Siphon Life spell, which allows him to heal others with his own life force or transfer his own mana to them to bolster their magic. He is still ignorant of the spell's original intent.

**History:**
Born to Mark and Enid Krieger (both deceased) and raised rurally outside Koblenz. The father was a biomancer turned necromancer and the mother was an ice elementalist. After his father's death (by suicide) when he was 9, Johann moved in with his grandparents in Austria. They tried to dissuade his studies, but "little Jojo" as they called him was far too stubborn about following in his father's footsteps. He has difficulties with his studies due to dyslexia but is determined to overcome it.

As Johann entered the earliest stages of puberty, several things became abundantly clear: he could not be dissuaded from his dreams; his "special condition" was becoming increasingly difficult to hide; and they could not keep up with him in their old age. The solution to all of these problems was surprisingly elegant: send him to boarding school. So mama and papa shipped little Jojo to Safeholme Academy to pursue his dreams and be kept safe from the scorn of the mundane world. They each sent him off with their best wishes and a gift: a (wooden) scythe from his grandfather and an abridged version of his favorite book, bound in unicorn leather.

**Appearance:** Johann is fair-skinned and dark dressed in stereotypical necromancer fashion. A black turban conceals all but a few wisps of black hair and covers his right eye. He's also quite taken with long flowing robes at this point in his life and wears them whenever possible, despite his general clumsiness. He's above average height for his age at 5'8" and expected to crest 6' by adulthood like both his parents. He has a slim build thanks to an active metabolism and a sedentary lifestyle. His eyes are a deeply tinted hazel, but always bright and eager. He has a number of old wounds he prefers to keep concealed. \\
**Personality:** Chipper and optimistic would be the quickest way to describe Johann. It's hard to get him down, and he doesn't stay down for long. He never has a mean thing to say about anyone, and is always willing to lend a hand or an ear. Most likely to be voted Mr. Congeniality if he can get over his shyness. \\
**Magical Item:** Wooden Scythe. It appears perfectly real thanks to the illusions cast on it, and can be summoned from a dimensional pocket thanks to his papa's dimension magic. \\
**Magical Outfit:** N/A \\
**Familiar:** Chuffy is 4' tall at the shoulders and aggressively loyal. His energy is the only real reason Johann ever gets any sunlight. \\ \\

**Primary Ability:** Mahouken- 'Magic Sword'
* Reika is a student of the Mahouken school, which teaches techniques of swordplay as well as magical amplifications of one's self. She has honed herself to be physically and magically very powerful, having superhuman speed, strength, reflexes, and senses. Even without magic, Reika is a formidable swordsman, capable of defeating even the higher level members of the Mahouken school.
**Secondary Ability:** Amatsuoken 'Celestial sword'
* Using a sword forged from a magical Meteorite, Reika can summon bright white, cleansing flames, capable of exorcising demons and clearing away curses and dark miasma, without harming those Reika wishes to protect.
**Tertiary ability:** Kitsuneken 'Fox Sword'
* Using a sword forged by a Japanese Deity, Reika can summon destructive black flames of Foxfire, as well as summon fox spirits which can serve as familiars if need be.

**History:**
Reika Ookamichi grew up in the mountain contry near Inawashiro, Japan, as part of a family of notable swordsmen and women. She learned swordplay from an early age, and excelled in its practice. When she was 5, it was found that she was capable of utilising her 'chi' (Mana) to a much greater extent than others in her family, and was sent to train in a school of magic swordsmen, learning ways of swordplay and magical reinforcement of her own body to become a fearsome warrior.

After learning everything the school had to offer, Reika searched for more ways in which she could grow, both as a mage and a swordsman, but was left with little opportunity until she turned 15, in which she heard of a magical academy in Osaka, far to the south, which was run by westerners, whom assuredly had knowledge to give that the schools of Japan did not. Using family references, and finding out that one of her cousins, Katerina Michizaki, was also a mage, and lived in that area, Reika moved south, and began taking classes at Safeholme Academy.

**Appearance:** Reika is quite tall at 5'8" and thin, toned and flexible, with long, straight black hair that is normally kept in a neat ponytail. She typically dresses either in her school uniform or in semi-casual wear including a button up shirt, a pleated skirt, and nearly always carries two swords with her. http://safebooru.org//images/1992/029ae ... pg?2077048 \\
**Personality:** having spent her formative years in Dojos and schools of swrdsmanship, Reika has a very professional, curt, almost uptight personality. She is very formal, and tends to err toward tradition, though she seeks to break out of this and learn more social skills, so she will often attempt to act in a different matter, though she will always default to professional if she can't think of a more appropriate way to act in a situation. \\
**Magical Item:** \\
* Amatsuoken- Celestial sword
* Kitsuneken- Foxfire sword
**Magical Outfit:** Reika normally wears a school uniform, though, on occasion she will wear traditional swordfighting clothing which has been magically imbued with defensive spells, powered by her own Mana pool. \\
**Familiar:** Reika can, with the help of Kitsuneken, summon two fox spirits. The larger, white fox is very aggressive and named Tomo, the smaller, reddish fox spirit is a trickster named Shimo.\\